Friday, 26 June 2015

Bombay High Court allows FSSAI to recall Amway products

Nagpur: After Maggi, it's now the turn of network marketing major Amway Enterprises to withdraw its products from the market. The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Wednesdaydirected Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) to go ahead with its action of recalling seven Amway products.A division bench comprising justice Bhushan Gavai and justice Indira Jain tersely asked FSSAI what was preventing them from taking action when products were found unfit for consumption in their scientific studies. The court then adjourned hearing of PIL filed by social workers Sachin Khobragade and Jammu Anand through their counsel Nihal Singh Rathod by eight weeks.Earlier, FSSAI filed an affidavit through senior counsel Mehmood Parasher and Rohan Malviya that as many as 37 products of the chain marketing major were put under the scanner. Of these, seven were found to contain more than permissible quantity of minerals and vitamins as per studies conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute for Nutrition (NIN). All these products were found without mandatory licenses and no-objection certificates (NOC) or product approvals from the food authority.Out of 37 products were under the scanner, seven including Nutrilite Natural B tablets, Calcium Magnesium D, Nutrilite Iron Folic tablets, Nutrilite Bio C, Positrim Vanilla, and Nutrilite Kids Drink in mixed fruit flavour had been rejected by the food authority. NOC of Nutrilite Salmon Omega 3, Nutrilite CH Balance and Nutrilite Fiber had expired, still they were being sold.The main reason for rejection of NOC was that ingredients such as protein and minerals exceeded beyond permissible limit in the products. Some products contained protein powder that had been denied NOC, approval or license by FSSAI, whose product approval committee had rejected all such products. However, even after warnings, the company failed towithdraw them from the market. The petitioners alleged that despite being directed by FSSAI to recall them, the company is still selling them openly in the market.Citing provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, the petitioners prayed for directives to FSSAI to recall all Amway products which are being sold without valid license/approval/NOC, and investigations from an independent body into entire episode. They also demanded conducting audit of FSSAI.